You can take the man out of hockey, but you can’t take the hockey out of the man.
Two winters ago, after six years of working to create a winning culture for Londonderry High School hockey, Lancer coach Peter Bedford stepped away from his post feeling that his nursing career was simply making it impossible for him to devote the necessary time to get the most out of his work and his team.
But after one season away from his Lancers – who Bedford still watched from a distance with deep interest while serving as a hockey assistant at Trinity High in Manchester – he has stepped back into his LHS post after the squad had a productive but somewhat contentious 2015-16 campaign.
Bedford, a Massachusetts native who played junior hockey, pushed former Manchester hockey standout Dan Legro to apply for the LHS head hockey post after having his 2014-15 Lancers post a 7-11 record and narrowly miss out on making the Division I tournament.
Legro had a productive season at the helm of the Londonderry High squad last winter, leading the Lancers to a 10-8 regular season record and a return to the playoffs. But the seventh-ranked LHS skaters were bested by number 10 Hanover in the first round of the D-I tournament squad, and Legro stepped aside after some personality clashes behind the scenes took their toll.
“Dan did a fine job, had a winning season and got the team to the tournament, but there was some turmoil which made things uncomfortable,” said Bedford.
Bedford has a close relationship with Londonderry High athletic director Howard Sobolov, who hired the hockey coach to lead the Goffstown High School hockey program years before they reconnected as a team for LHS. So when the Lancer hockey position opened again following the 2015-16 season, Bedford expressed a great desire to help steady the ship by returning to the head spot.
“I want to come back and get the Indians all settled and keep the program moving forward,” said Bedford.
The coach was studying for a nursing career when he first took the LHS hockey job years ago, and he is now engaged in full-time nursing work at the Concord Hospital. But he has been able to organize his schedule in order to make it possible to continue to coach the sport for which he has a deep passion.
But with the heavy commitment which come with a nursing career, Bedford is taking a “year to year” stance on high school coaching. That said, his steady personality, decades of experience in ice hockey, and great teaching ability will doubtless help the Lancer icemen be all they can be during the forthcoming 2016-17 campaign at least.
The Lancers get the season rolling on Wednesday, Dec. 14 in Hanover against the same Marauders’ crew that ended their 2015-16 season.